Certainly, there are people who can't wait to leave work, and people with grand plans for retirement. There are also people who have worked a long time in a stressful environment or doing heavy manual work, or who live in a poor community, and whose life expectancy is much shorter. But most people in their 50s say that they would like to work…

In this article, the author talks about the finding of NIACE's inquiry into adult numeracy learning. One clear finding is that more classroom learning for adults will not bring about a more numerate society. The author discusses the need to create a culture in which maths is perceived as worthwhile and even enjoyable. She stresses that at a time…

Over the past few decades social policy in the UK and other major developed countries, has emphasised the provision of social care programmes to deal with vulnerable, deprived groups and communities. This reflects the increase in social problems such as addictions, homelessness and poverty which have occurred in that period. It also illustrates a…

It is commonly assumed that company training is one of the first casualties in times of recession. Falling recruitment, pressures to cut costs and a focus on short-term survival force businesses to put training on the backburner. Expecting the worst, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)…

Adult education will have an important role to play in addressing the challenges facing the world in the wake of the Copenhagen climate change talks. What can providers do to make a difference--and what is already being done? In this article, the authors give their perspectives.

It's almost a year since the revolution--the "Learning Revolution," that is. This was the Government's long-term vision for the development of "informal adult learning", as laid out in the White Paper of March 2009. The vision was expansive, embracing informal learning in the workplace, promoting a "new" culture of…

The nature of teaching as a profession has been the subject of intense debate for many years, driven by the developments in digital technology, both in terms of the technology people use in everyday life and work (such as mobile phones, Facebook, the internet etc) and the technology now available to support teaching and learning (again, mobile…

The world's political leaders failed to agree a fair, ambitious and legally binding accord that would protect the planet from catastrophic global warming at the United Nations' Copenhagen conference on climate change. This makes grassroots action all the more essential to save the world from devastating climate change. The UK Government championed…

Due to the effects of global warming, writes Field, everyone now lives in times of plague, floods, and famine. While the UK government's track record on green issues is not all bad, still it is vulnerable to criticism. In this article, the author discusses what adult education has to offer to the environmental movement, despite existing…

Reading "Learning for the Future," 15 years since it was first published, it is instructive to see what has changed and what has remained more or less the same. The years following the Rio Earth Summit saw the proliferation of a great deal of local debate and community-level activity to promote sustainable development, often under the…

As he turns 60, the author reflects on changing ideas of social purpose in adult education. He recounts personal experiences to illustrate the notion that remembering our fragile but also potentially resilient humanity and our common need for love, care and social solidarities, alongside democratic experience, reminds us of what adult education…

The transition from school to college can be a daunting experience for any young adult. But for someone who suffers from Asperger Syndrome (AS)--an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people--adapting to new surroundings and meeting new people is an even…

The UK Government's consultation on informal adult learning recognises the importance of self-directed learning, learning in social movements, and learning that involves the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). There is a much clearer picture of how computers and the Internet are used by people in their everyday lives and for…

Colleges are already a distinctive part of the mainstream higher education (HE) sector. This article discusses whether the prospect of an increased role in the provision of HE could prove the silver lining for colleges in an otherwise tough spending review settlement. The financial picture seems to be mixed. Colleges, like universities, are faced…

It is increasingly difficult to be a citizen, a family member or a worker, to be young or to be old, without the acquisition of new skills. And these are not simple skills; they are complex, creative, thought-provoking and challenging skills. Many more people are capable of acquiring and using these skills than have the opportunity to do so.…